Fact Sheet: Examples of How the Sequester Would Impact Middle Class Families, Jobs and Economic Security: http://t.co/fUlZzP2G
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) February 8, 2013
With sequestration cuts due to hit both domestic programs and defense spending in a matter of weeks, the White House has plenty of motivation to distance itself from its own plan. The automatic cuts were put in place to pressure the president and Congress to find places to cut the fat, but the House GOP has been alone in that search. As Charles Krauthammer wrote at National Review Online yesterday:
Naturally, the Democratic Senate, which hasn’t passed a budget since before the iPad, has done nothing. Nor has the president — until his Tuesday plea.
The GOP should reject it out of hand and plainly explain (message No. 2): We are quite prepared to cut elsewhere. But we already raised taxes last month. If the president wants to avoid the sequester — as we do — he must offer a substitute set of cuts.
Otherwise, Mr. President, there is nothing to discuss. Your sequester — Republicans need to reiterate that the sequester was the president’s idea in the first place — will go ahead.
The GOP has its own hashtag linking the sequester with President Obama: #Obamaquester.
@PressSec Oh, I see what you did there with #GOPamnesia. Too bad we dominate the hashtags around here #Obamaquester
— David Popp (@davidpopp) February 8, 2013
Spending is the problem in Washington. I hope President Obama finally offers an alternative to #Obamaquester
— Eric Cantor (@EricCantor) February 8, 2013
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The sequester was the President's idea. There is no denying it. http://t.co/zw49n42y #Obamaquester
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) February 8, 2013
House GOP has voted to replace the president’s sequester twice. Here’s why, courtesy @whitehouse: http://t.co/vbir4JzR #obamaquester
— John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) February 8, 2013
To his credit, Boehner’s fighting back, linking to the White House’s own report on the effects of the sequester, along with an explanation:
Republicans agree the sequester is the wrong way to cut spending, and agree the consequences are harmful. That’s why Republicans have twice passed legislation to replace it with common sense cuts and reforms. But without a plan to prevent his sequester, the president is out of excuses.
The sequester was President Obama's idea. We voted twice to replace it with responsible cuts. It's the #Obamaquester pic.twitter.com/MDIGtROv
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) February 8, 2013
lots of Republican offices are reading a single page of a Bob Woodward book today. and if #Obamaquester trends in DC, maybe it will matter.
— Rick Klein (@rickklein) February 8, 2013
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